This weekend the field hockey team will face the undefeated Bantams of Trinity College, hoping to build on the momentum it gained with last weekend's victory over Williams.
The Polar Bears will be looking for revenge as the Bantams handed the Polar Bears one of their two losses last season, the other loss coming from the Jumbos of Tufts University.
"Our last two games are the two biggest games of this season," said senior co-captain Shavonne Lord. "They are against our two toughest opponents and they are both 'must win' games. If we pull all of the pieces together we have the ability to come out on top."
The Bowdoin defense will have their hands full as the Trinity team boasts an impressive 2.71 goals per game average, led by junior forward Christy Bradley, who is tied for second in the NESCAC for goals, with seven.
Additionally, Bradley sits atop the NESCAC with three game-winning goals.
The Polar Bears continued their tradition of success last Saturday, squeaking out a 1-0 victory over the Ephs of Williams College in front of an energetic Homecoming crowd.
The Ephs tested the Bowdoin defense early in the game with high pressure right from the opening whistle, which earned them a penalty corner opportunity within the first minute.
The finely tuned Polar Bear defense diffused the Williams attack and safely cleared the ball to the other end of the field.
Back and forth action ensued for the entirety of the first half. The incendiary speed of sophomores Katie Herter and McKenna Teague generated numerous fast breaks toward the Williams net to produce a majority of the Polar Bear offense.
The Polar Bears' best scoring opportunity came with six minutes remaining in the half. Liz Clegg '12 executed a couple of nifty moves down the sideline to weave her way through the Williams defense. Clegg fed the ball across the goal to a sprawling Teague who just missed the bouncing pass.
Feeding off of the momentum rendered from the final minutes of the first half, the Polar Bears entered the second half hungry for a goal.
This hunger was satiated when Shannon Malloy '11 drove a hard strike into the crowd of players in the scoring circle. Jessie Small '11 wrangled the solidly struck ball and deftly placed it into the net at 40:32.
The Polar Bears remained in control of the game until the final four minutes when goalkeeper Emily Neilson '11 was called upon to make her only two saves of the contest.
Williams forward Anne de Saint Phalle maneuvered her way to the front of the net and launched the ball to the lower left side of the goal.
Neilson leapt across the goal line and batted the shot away with her blocker.
The Ephs were awarded a penalty corner opportunity fifteen seconds later, and Neilson again produced an impressive diving save to give the Polar Bears the 1-0 victory.
"We were very pleased with our performance against Williams, but as a team we clearly acknowledge that we need to convert more of the opportunities that we are creating, said Head Coach Nicky Pearson. "This will be our goal this weekend."